In this week’s Coaches Poll, two intriguing teams are situated in the top four. The Florida Gators (21-3, 11-1 SEC), led by legendary coach Billy Donovan, have worked with the momentum from last season’s surprise Elite Eight appearance to rise above Kentucky and seize control of the SEC. Meanwhile, the Miami Hurricanes (21-3, 12-0 ACC) are achieving some truly remarkable things. Under Jim Larranaga, the Hurricanes are not only on course to make the NCAA tournament for the first time in eight years, but will probably also win the ACC championship for the first time in program history. The teams could not have had more different pre-season expectations or coaches, but there is hope for an intrastate Final Four matchup that would captivate the masses and renew a former football rivalry.

For 50 years, the Miami Hurricanes and Florida Gators battled on the gridiron in a heated battle. Before Florida State even had a football team, the Canes’ and Gators traded blows, with the winner getting the Seminole War Canoe trophy. However, the football series ended in 1987 when the SEC expanded to an eight-game conference schedule. The Hurricanes have not forgotten this slight, but the rivalry has been mainly dormant for the last 25 years. There is common hatred for Florida State, who plays both schools, but the UM-Florida rivalry has not quite translated to the hardwood.

That will change as March Madness rolls around, though, with each in-state school positioned to make a deep tournament run. Florida State is having a down year, which should only add intrigue to the proceedings. Florida is built around the electric guard play of Kenny Boynton and Mike Rosario, and they have won every game this season by double digits. However, the Hurricanes have relied more on big men Kenny Kadji and Reggie Johnson, while point guard Shane Larkin occasionally takes games over with his three-point shooting. Miami has enjoyed fewer blowout wins, but their senior-laden squad has shown its mettle in close wins over Florida State, Clemson, Boston College and North Carolina. Florida gets a lot of transition points and easy layups, while Miami passes the ball to its big men, who can either pass out for three-point shots or score inside. Billy Donovan knows his way through the NCAA tournament, as he notched two NCAA titles while coaching the Noah-Horford-Brewer Gators squads in 2006 and 2007. Meanwhile, Larranaga made a name for himself with an improbable run to the 2006 Final Four as the coach of the George Mason Patriots. Donovan’s Gators defeated Larranaga’s Patriots that season, but the coaches have not faced off since then. Perhaps this year will change that.

Fans in the area are particularly thrilled, as they get to choose which team to cheer on to victory. The Miami area has taken quickly to this Canes’ team, and Lebron James and Dwyane Wade even showed their support by sitting courtside at the North Carolina game. While Floridian fans are notorious for fickle support of their teams, home wins over Michigan State, Duke and North Carolina have rallied people in the Miami-Dade area around this team. In central Florida, people are fiercely loyal towards their Gators, and they have reason to believe this is their year. Thanks to the Kenny Boynton’s dizzying pace and the Gators’ collective refusal to let up on opponents, Florida is arguably the most enjoyable team in America to watch. The Gators draw some support from the Jacksonville region of North Florida and from Orlando, which has always been Gator country. The interesting development will be discovering whether the Tampa-Fort Lauderdale community rallies more strongly behind Florida to the east or Miami to the south. Regardless, the state’s fiercest sports rivalry at the moment might be the conflict between two schools that have not played each other in years. If the UF-Miami rivalry were a volcano, then there is lava bubbling in the underbelly of the previously active volcano. Hopefully, an intrastate NCAA tournament match-up can deliver its highly anticipated explosion to a national audience.